Tuesday, December 11, 2007

"Comics, and The Bagge-Man"

Today I want to wish that krazy cartoonist-writer, Peter Bagge a very happy 50th. Birthday(born in 1957)! I'm afraid it's all downhill from here on in, Pete!

And today this post is all about comics. I went to my regular comic book shop since all back issues are 20% off marked prices this month and surprizingly only spent around $35. (although there was much more I could have grabbed). Even so, I got what I felt was a nice handful of bargains, and a few items from my real "want lists".

For one thing, I found a nice copy of Action #340(DC/1966) which is the 1st.app./origin of one of Supes' most deadly foes, "The Parasite"! This also has a Supergirl backup by Mooney, a two-page centerfold poster of Superman by Curt Swan, and the cover's topped off with those ever=lovin' "Go-Go Checks".

And there's a copy of Swamp Thing V1 #3(DC/1973) & 24 (the last issue of V1 from 1976). #3 is, of course, Wrightson artwork and is the first app. of "Abilgail", plus the origin of "The Patchwork Man". #24 advertised that the next issue ST would teampup with "Hawkman", but to my knowledge, this was never published? (If anyone with contradictory info on that it'd be appreciated!)

Then there's a Sandman #4 (DC/1975) with Jack Kirby art, and the only issue I needed to complete that bronze-age run of 6 issues.

Next, a copy of Superman #235(DC/1971) which was the last issue I needed in the pseudo-Superman storyline which began in #233, and sporting what appears to be, a Neal Adams cover.

In newer books I picked up the latest Brave & The Bold (#8/DC) which is a teamup between The Flash, and my all-time fave, "The Doom Patrol"! And I got the latest Justice League of America (#15/DC) which concludes the battle with the new version of the "In"Justice League.

In their 49 cent boxes, some gems were to be found. A copy of DC's Young Romance #178(a DC 25 cent Giant from 1972), a Date With Debbie #10 (DC/1970), a Super Goof #33 (1975/Gold Key, and battling the evil "Phantom Blot"!), and nine misc. issues of Marvel's wacky title, Peter Porker, The Spectacular Spider-Ham by Marvel (all from the mid-1980's) The earliest of this title was a #6 with good ol' Fred Hembeck art! So, as you can see, it was a good "comic book day" for me.

And now, I want to get back to my previous post where I put that cover of Superman #170 (1964) "up for show", as re-reading that story from the early silver-age and thinking about it, I just had to laugh about the whole thing.

Of course, it was one of those silly DC "Imaginary Tales' from that time, and it began with Lex Luthor using a device that makes him into a giant so he could escape prison. He then hatches this scheme to go back in time before Krypton blew up and win Lara's heart (Supe's mom) away from Jor-El, and her to marry HIM, so when he returned to Earth in that present time, Superman wouldn't try to hassle with him since then he'd be his dad! Now, I grant you...that's pretty silly enough. He fails in this attempt and returns to the present time in a Kryptonian rocket ship, and wearing Kryptonian clothing, NEITHER of which Superman seems to take any notice save that he was glad to recapture Luthor and put him back in prison.

What made me really laugh about this, tho'? In the story, Lex is imagining (yes, he's imaginingwithin an "imaginary" story, and since it's a comic book that's imagining within an imagining with an imagining!) that he's already married to Lara and they've had a son which he's telling her he'll save by sending to Earth. But...the child still looks like "Kal-El"! That is to say, he doesn't look like a son of Lex and Lara, but one of Jor-El and Lara! Heh! Looks like that sly, ol' Jor-El slipped one in on Lara before she and he broke up! (Those promiscuous Kryptonians! LOL!)

3 Comments:

Sadly I must agree with your comments on Swamp Thing 24; it WAS pretty lame. As the series ended, ST was back being Alec Holland, and according to The Unofficial Guide to the DCU, his next app. was in Challengers of the Unknown #83 (which, unfortunately, I don't have a copy of), so can someone tell me "how" he got back to being a swamp creature again???

I don't think they ever explained it. Actually, I don't think they ever acknowledges the events of #24, just kinda retconned it, pretended like it never happened. I used to have CotU 83, and I'm pretty sure that's how it happened...